Breakout star blitzes ARIA nominations

by Kathy McCabe

10th Oct 2019 11:06 AM

It is officially the year of breakout pop artist Tones and I, with her smash hit Dance Monkey topping the 2019 ARIA Awards leader board with eight nominations.

In just over a year, the infectiously unique 19-year-old artist has gone from quitting her retail job to busk in Byron Bay to holding No.1 on the ARIA singles chart for a historic 10 weeks and also claim No.1 in the UK last week.

Her rags to riches story, from living in her van while building audiences of hundreds busking on the streets of Byron to performing in front of 100,000 at the AFL Grand Final, is both a tale of doing it old school and finding a global audience in the streaming era.

Tones And I has gone from busking on the streets of Byron Bay to dominating the nominations for the 2019 ARIA Awards. Picture: Elise Derwin

She has more than 300 million streams, has hit No.1 in seven other countries around the world and topped the Global Shazam charts, signalling there are still more fans discovering her music each week.

But it's not just Dance Monkey earworming its way into the pop Zeitgeist, with Never Seen The Rain and her debut single Johnny Run Away also bouncing around the top 50.

While Tones represents the future of Australian pop, soul blues band Teskey Brothers prove there is still a heartland for rock here, winning seven nominations for their second album Run Home Slow.

Equal with seven nominations are hip hop heroes Hilltop Hoods, currently on tour in Europe, whose Great Expanse album and tour cemented their place as the country's biggest band this year. Both are up for the coveted Album of the Year award.

Hilltop Hoods are up for the night’s top awards.

More breakthrough female artists were recognised for their contributions to the Australian soundtrack in 2019, with the sweet-singing, tough-talking Thelma Plum and Julia Jacklin each receiving six nominations.

If you needed evidence that Paul Kelly is the GOAT, a truly remarkable musical superstar who can do anything, he has made ARIA history this year with three different records nominated across three different genres in his clutch of five nominations.

Paul Kelly has raked in three nominations across three different genres. Picture: Getty

Thirteen Ways To Look At Birds, his classical collaboration with James Ledger, won Best Classical Album at the nominations event in Sydney on Thursday where the artisan and fine arts trophies are given out ahead of the televised awards on November 27.

His Nature record is up for the Best Adult Contemporary gong while his Live At The Opera Housealbum has been nominated in the Best Blues and Roots category.

Last year's ARIA awards stars Amy Shark and Dean Lewis are carry-over champions in 2019, each receiving four nominations including Song of the Year.

Soul blues band Teskey Brothers have won seven nominations for their second album Run Home Slow.

And Guy Sebastian, host of the 2019 ARIA Awards, and the artist most likely robbed of a No.1 for his brilliant song Choir, has received four nominations, including Best Pop Release.

Guy Sebastian, who will host the 2019 ARIA Awards, has received four nominations of his own. Picture: David Swift.

After several years of frustration among the hip hop and r&b communities about being lumped into the Best Urban Release, they each got their own categories this year with Best Hip Hop and Best Soul/R&B Release.

The 2019 ARIA Awards will be held at the Star in Sydney on November 27.

Album Of The Year

Dean Lewis - A Place We Knew

Hilltop Hoods - The Great Expanse

RÜFÜS DU SOL - Solace

The Teskey Brothers - Run Home Slow

Thelma Plum - Better In Blak

Best Male Artist

Dean Lewis - A Place We Knew

Guy Sebastian - Choir

Hayden James - Between Us

Matt Corby - Rainbow Valley

Paul Kelly - Nature

Best Female Artist

Amy Shark - Mess Her Up

Jessica Mauboy - Little Things

Julia Jacklin - Crushing

Thelma Plum - Better In Blak

Tones And I - Dance Monkey

Best Dance Release

Dom Dolla - Take It

FISHER - You Little Beauty

Peking Duk & Jack River - Sugar

PNAU - Solid Gold

RÜFÜS DU SOL - Solace

Best Group

5 Seconds Of Summer - Easier

Birds Of Tokyo - Good Lord

Hilltop Hoods - The Great Expanse

RÜFÜS DU SOL - Solace

The Teskey Brothers - Run Home Slow

Breakthrough Artist

G Flip - About Us

Stella Donnelly - Beware Of The Dogs

The Teskey Brothers - Run Home Slow

Thelma Plum - Better In Blak

Tones And I - Dance Monkey

Best Pop Release

Amy Shark - Mess Her Up

Dean Lewis - A Place We Knew

Guy Sebastian - Choir

Thelma Plum - Better In Blak

Tones And I - Dance Monkey

Best Hip Hop Release

Baker Boy - Cool As Hell

Hilltop Hoods - The Great Expanse

Illy - Then What

Sampa The Great - Final Form

Tkay Maidza - Awake feat. JPEGMAFIA

Best Soul/R&B Release

Kaiit - Miss Shiney

Matt Corby - Rainbow Valley

Adrian Eagle - AOK

Genesis Owusu - WUTD + Vultures

Tash Sultana - Can't Buy Happiness

Best independent Release

Angie McMahon - Salt

G Flip - About Us

Julia Jacklin - Crushing

The Teskey Brothers - Run Home Slow

Tones And I - The Kids Are Coming

Best Rock Album

Amyl and The Sniffers - Amyl and The Sniffers

Holy Holy - My Own Pool Of Light

Jimmy Barnes - My Criminal Record

Midnight Oil - Armistice Day: Live at The Domain, Sydney

Skegss - My Own Mess

Best Adult Contemporary Album

Julia Jacklin - Crushing

Paul Kelly - Nature

Samantha Jade - The Magic of Christmas

Seeker Lover Keeper - Wild Seeds

The Paper Kites - On The Corner Where You Live

Best Country Album

Charlie Collins - Snowpine

Felicity Urquhart - Frozen Rabbit

Lee Kernaghan - Backroad Nation

Morgan Evans - Things We Drink To

Sara Storer - Raindance

Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album

Clowns - Nature/Nurture

Dead Letter Circus - Dead Letter Circus

DZ Deathrays - Positive Rising: Part 1

King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard - Infest The Rats' Nest

Northlane - Alien

Best Blues & Roots Album

Dan Sultan - Aviary Takes

John Butler Trio - HOME

King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard - Fishing For Fishies

Paul Kelly - Live At Sydney Opera House

The Teskey Brothers - Run Home Slow

Best Children's Album

Dan Sultan - Nali & Friends

Kamil Ellis and Ensemble Offspring - Classic Kids: Music For The Dreaming